Mike’s Top 10 PS2 Games I Own And Have Never Played

Way back on episode two of the podcast, we wrapped it up (and put any credibility anyone might have inaccurately convinced themselves we had at risk) with the Top 10 Games We’ve Never Played. To supplement that, I said I would put together a list of the “Top 10 PS2 Games I Own And Never Never Played”.

Well, it’s taken me a few months, but I think I’m ready to rock your world with this list. There are a variety of reasons why I haven’t played the games (despite owning them, several for years upon years). Whether I’m just too busy playing other games, only bought them because they were cheap,  or just want to see them looking pretty among all the other games, this is the list I compiled of PS2 games that: (a) I own, (b) have either never played or have played for less than one minute or so, and (c) have at least some importance in the grander scheme of the PS2 game library.

10: Dark Cloud

I picked this one up for something like $5 used at GameStop one day in 2007. I know it was a near-launch title that was supposed to be halfway decent (though the sequel is not, apparently…?), so for the price, it made sense to grab it, toss it on the shelf, and maybe get to it one day in the next fifty years or so.

9: Final Fantasy XII

I picked the “Collector’s Edition” of this one up at GameStop’s “Game Daze” sale in 2007 for something like $15-$20. I wasn’t a big fan of the battle engine (having tested out the demo that came with Dragon Quest VIII), but I knew the story was (supposedly) hugely engrossing, the game looked gorgeous, and I can’t resist bonus discs. Too bad the included retrospective video is one of the worst I’ve ever seen in my life. Do we need to focus on Cid so much? Really? I am interested in playing the game, but I’m just not a fan of political drama and MMO-style controls…

8: Final Fantasy X-2

I picked this one up for about $12 on sale at Target one day a few years back. I was still actively playing (and enjoying) Final Fantasy X, and both Meri and I were all about these new outfits! Watched the opening sequence, popped it up on the shelf, picked up the strategy guide (mostly to look at the pictures), and never got around to actually playing it… mostly because I dropped Final Fantasy X during that one annoying last temple… and the horrible English voice acting…

7: Persona 3 FES

I picked this one up on launch day in 2008 because I had heard so many great things about the original release of Persona 3, it seemed like something I wanted to have in my collection. I didn’t pre-order it, but thankfully my local GameStop had one copy (the only copy, actually). I have no idea when I’ll get around to playing it (especially with 4 out and supposedly superior), but I’m really glad to at least own it for when I have the time to play it. I honestly don’t see myself being able to dedicate the 80+ or whatever hours to it, but I’m too intrigued to NOT pop it in.

6: Odin Sphere

I picked this one up for $20 at GameStop’s “Game Daze” sale in 2008. An Atlus PS2 game for $20? Even if I never play it, that’s too good to pass up! (Yes, I have a problem.) My local store either sold out or didn’t have any, but I randomly saw it at the store by work while trying to pick up The Monkey King on Wii… which no-one ever carried in-store, but I eventually got as a birthday present. I’ve heard great and mediocre things about Odin Sphere, so it’s another good one to have just sitting there for eventually playing.

5: Guitaroo Man

I picked this one up for about $40 used at a GameStop down by my parents a few years back. It’s moderately rare to come across, and they were doing a buy-two-get-one-free deal on used games, so I grabbed it (along with Mega Man Collection for myself and The Sims for the then-girlfriend/now-wife). I may have actually briefly played it back in college during some anime club gaming gatherings, but not enough to say I’ve “played” the game. Being that it’s really just a music game, there’s no reason I couldn’t pop it in every so often to mess around with it, but I just never have.

4: Dragon Quest VIII

I picked this one up for about $20 at my local Suncoast when they were liquidating their entire inventory. The game was still selling for $50 elsewhere, so while it’s since dropped to $20-new now, it was a good deal at the time. I had played a little bit of the demo that came with a domestic Shonen Jump and moderately enjoyed myself, so being the huge Akira Toriyama fan that I am (and knowing I should really check this stuff out), I bought it and have let it sit on the shelf. I’ll get around to it. I’ve since also picked up IV on DS, and also haven’t gotten around to playing it.

3: Devil May Cry (1, 2, 3)

I received the PS2 three-pack for Christmas 2006. I knew it would be a good deal for whoever wanted to pick it up for me. As you can read in our mutual list, none of us ever got around to checking it out, with the whole bishounen factor playing a small role in that. I’ve since played the demo of 4 on the 360, and I’m interested in seeing what this series is all about. It looks pretty neat, and I know for a fact it’s better than Dirge of Cerberus. Difficult games are a pretty big turn-off, though…

2: Shadow of the Colossus

I picked this one up for $10 at Target on clearance in mid-2008. I also threw one in Andrew’s face and made him purchase it, too. Absolutely one I’ll get around to playing. Like most people, I was just unaware of the game’s very existence for a while, so I never checked it out. I may actually have more interest in playing this one than my #1, but that one I did something interesting with, which makes it more hilarious.

1: God of War

I picked this one up for $15 at Target in 2007. The second game had recently come out, and I wanted to pick the first one up to see what was going on. I enjoyed action games, so it seemed like a good choice. I still haven’t gotten around to playing the game, though I certainly plan on doing so at some point in the near future. It’s pretty funny that I haven’t played the game, though I was forced to use its FMV as source footage in a music video later that year…